Urban News

The builders and property developers in South Bopal are waiting with a baited breath for the final decision of the state Urban Development Department (UDD) regarding zoning system that halted the construction activities in this fastest-growing township on the outskirts of the city two months ago.

According to builders, a large number of those involved in construction activities as also buyers submitted objections with the UDD about its notification in April this year that changed the zoning pattern as suggested by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).

As the deadline for submitting objections expires on June 30 and after which the state government would take a decision, builders are in a state of panic because many of them have already reached mid-stage of their projects. If the UDD remains adamant with its previous notification, builders might suffer huge losses as they have invested huge amounts in their projects.

President of Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers(GIHED) Suresh Patel said the builders had gone ahead with the construction after AUDA demarcated R1and R2 zones, allowing 12-storyed buildings in R1 zone and four-storyed buildings in R2 zone. The zoning, according to him, was done after consultation with all the stakeholders, including the local landowners.

But when AUDA submitted zone plans for approval by the UDD, the latter swapped R1 with R2 and also issued a notice to stop all constructions. This sent developers into a tizzy. They submitted objections with the department. Patel said that bringing changes into the plan after construction had begun was not the right way. The fluctuating decisions, he said, would harm the builders as well as public at large. He urged the state government to find a suitable way out to ensure that no one suffered. P L Sharma, secretary (town planning) in the state UDD, said he had received a large number of objections from the builders and a final decision would be taken by the state government.